Tuesday, December 21, 2010

His fearful trip is done

Don Van Vliet, better known as Captain Beefheart, died a few days back. His idiosyncratic sound influenced everyone from post-punkers to Lester Bangs to Tom Waits. Here's a Guardian obit, but the man's weirdness/greatness is best judged when it's played out loud. Start at the deep end with Trout Mask Replica. If you recover, try the Mirror Man Sessions.